Electrical insect-destroyer.



y PETER J. PETERSON, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Ell-.CE1CTIRICAL` INSECT-DE-STROYER.

-No.l914,875.

citizen of' the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful. Improvements in Electrical Insect- Destroyers, of which the following is a speciviication.

My invention relates to a means for destroying insects, particularly small insects, such as flies and the like.

It consistsin an arrangement of electrical wires in the path of travel ci' the insects whereby a circuit` is completed throu h the body of the insect, -and the latter e ectrocuted. Y

It also consists in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, lin

which- Figure l is an elevation, some of the parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse section.

iratus designed particularly glass 2 and close' to it.

It isthegject of my invention to provide a means for destroying lies and like insects `by taking advantage -of their well known habits and methods of rogression.

vIn the present case lp have shown an appafor the destruction of iies and used in connection with window and like openings through which the flies are usually attracted the window being closed Apgesents a glazed surface A. Ivapply my devicet'hy means ofl a second glazed surface 2 which may be made of any convenient height, usually'a few inches, and designedto l extend across 4the lower parallel with and at the glass A.

3 and 4 are parallel sets of wires extending across the window space, and close tothe part of the window, a short distance from glass, one set being so close tothe permanent window glass that iesl crawling upon the glass must pass over, orcome in contact with these Wires. Vrfhe other set is similarly disposed parallel to thesupplemental Window stretched between insulators 5 which are ixed at opposite sides or' thewindow. For convenience in using my a paratus I have shownthese partsmounte -u on a supplee device' may be introduced or removed together.

The wires may he variously ixed to the p insulators; .the'latter being of .any ded or These wires are Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led .Tune 15, 1908. Serial No. 438,595.

Patented March 9, 1909.

suitable insulating material which may be Iperforated or provided with fastenings in yany convenient .manner, so that the wires may be drawn to a proper tension, and lie parallel and very closely-together. An "electric current of sufficient vforce `is supplied through these wires', and a light or other resistance may be suitably connected, as at 6, so that in case of accidental contact with the wires, the fuse will not be ,burned out and destroyed. 4

The operation of the device is very simple: Flies are always attracted to the light, and when theyalght upon the glass are continually ,moving up and down. If they are below the wires and move up, they'l will atl tempt to cross the wires, and will thus provide a Acircuit through their own bodies through which an electrical current will pass to stun or destroy the iiy. Ifnot killed at the first contact, and in time the ily revives and attempts to pass u ward again, the second contact will invaria ly kill him.

The two glasses being located as they are, iiies falling or moving tothebottomroithe space between, will attempt to climb 'f ,up either on the one side or the othenand as there are two sets of the wires, they will -be caught in either case assing up or down.

Having thus descri ed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1 the combinationwith a window glass, of a' supplemental transparent plate fixed paral- .lel to the surface' of the window glass, two pairs of parallel wires extending transversely/,between said glass and. plate, one

pair of thewires being contiguous to one surface, and the other lcontiguous to the otherl surface, and insulators hy which the ends of the wires are supported.

the combination with a In a device of the characterdescribed,i"k

glazed window-sash,

of a transparent plate adapted to 'be extended across the lower part of they sash and par-N L allel with the glass thereof, insulators flxl'd: l

plate, pairs of wires at each end of said str'etchedpbetweenl the insulator@` one pair of wires being contiguous to the window glass, and another pair beingv4 contiguous to the transparent plate, said wires arranged to'be electrically energized.

3. In a device of the character described,

g3 er eee the combination with a gzjlazedwndow-sash, conductors arranged to be electrically euer ef a transparent plate adapted to be placed gzed.

across the lower 'part of the sash, and pareln testimony whereof I have hereunto set le! with the glass thereof, insulators xed. at hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 5 each end of said plate, Wires or other conduenesses.

torsvof electricity stretched in sete between n v the insulators, one set of wires being cloee to PTER J PErlERSON the .Window glass, and another set close to YVtnesses:

`the transparent plete, each set eonslsting of CHARLES A. EMFIELD,

10' two or more conductors of electricity, said CHARLES EDELMAN. 

